Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Price Target Raised to $312.00

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) had its target price increased by Barclays from $305.00 to $312.00 in a report released on Monday morning, Benzinga reports. Barclays currently has an overweight rating on the medical instruments supplier’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Price Performance

Shares of BDX stock opened at $233.58 on Monday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a 52-week low of $229.40 and a 52-week high of $287.32. The stock has a market cap of $67.51 billion, a PE ratio of 51.45, a PEG ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 1.41. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $238.27 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $239.97.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 2nd. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.17 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.97 by $0.20. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a net margin of 6.76% and a return on equity of 13.90%. The firm had revenue of $5.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.04 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.86 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts forecast that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 13.04 EPS for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, June 10th will be issued a $0.95 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, June 10th. This represents a $3.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.63%. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 83.70%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Becton, Dickinson and Company news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total value of $399,269.15. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 5,381 shares in the company, valued at $1,252,750.61. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, SVP Thomas J. Spoerel sold 282 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $238.29, for a total transaction of $67,197.78. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 2,276 shares in the company, valued at $542,348.04. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 1,715 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $232.81, for a total transaction of $399,269.15. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 5,381 shares in the company, valued at $1,252,750.61. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.31% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Becton, Dickinson and Company

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. OFI Invest Asset Management acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Livelsberger Financial Advisory acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at $27,000. OLD Point Trust & Financial Services N A acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at $30,000. Finally, Scarborough Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company in the 4th quarter valued at $32,000. 86.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Becton, Dickinson and Company

Becton, Dickinson and Company develops, manufactures, and sells medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment, and diagnostic products for healthcare institutions, physicians, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical industry, and the general public worldwide. The company operates in three segments: BD Medical, BD Life Sciences, and BD Interventional.